Valentine Baby
by Raeinspace
Summary: It's Emma's birthday. To avoid her parents throwing her a party she agrees to go to a single's night at the Rabbit Hole with Ruby. Regina's also there, having promised Daniel to try and find love again. Eventual SwanQueen.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT.**

* * *

Being told by her parents that her real birthday was Valentines Day had only given Emma 48 hours to find an excuse to avoid whatever surprise party they had planned. It wasn't her fault that after she had been found the foster agency thought she was a couple of days older than she was. There was probably even some kind of time difference between this world and the Enchanted Forest meaning that the day she had been celebrating was in fact her real birthday. Thankfully, Ruby's words came back to her and she was able to avoid upsetting her parents too much.

"I signed up for the speed dating event. Ruby's going and she invited me. Why don't we celebrate today, we could go out for a family meal together? I've always celebrated my birthday on the 12th anyway."

"We didn't realise." David told her, looking ready to accept her excuse.

Her mother was little more reluctant to give up. "It will be the first birthday we get to spend with you. I wanted to do something special."

"Well, it's not until 7pm, so we can still spend time together."

"Why don't we all take the day off work and go somewhere?" David suggested, diplomatically.

"Henry has to go to school and I have to teach."

"I'm sure they'll understand. Someone can cover for you. Why not have a mother-daughter day then? Just you and Emma. I'll speak to Belle." He gave Emma a pleading look, begging her to agree.

"I guess, if you don't mind covering for me at work." Emma told him.

Together they looked at Mary Margaret. Faced with both her husband and daughter she quickly gave in.

* * *

"So Ruby, what exactly is this Storybrooke speed dating thing?" Emma asked as she met her friend outside The Rabbit Hole. "And do I look okay?"

"No idea, and yes you look great! Blue put up a flyer in the diner window but I forgot to ask. We'll probably just sit at little tables and be rotated round to give us a chance to meet other people."

"Promise you'll sit next to me?"

"Of course. We'll need a signal if we need help or an excuse to run away."

Emma laughed. "I'm sure your werewolf hearing will come in handy for that. My codeword can be, um… horses."

"Really?"

"Well I'm not going to use it by accident but I can fit it into a sentence easily – I don't like horses, or I've never ridden a horse. You?"

Ruby took a second to think. "Burger… no, ketchup. I can tell them I really like it or something."

"Time to go in." Emma looked at the doors. "After you."

The bar was busy. Emma followed Ruby through the crowds to a small table where Blue was seated behind two stacks of forms.

"We're here!" Ruby told her.

Blue looked up. "Ruby? Do you need a form?"

"No, I signed up last week, remember?"

Quickly flicking through some of the papers, Blue located one. "Right, now I just need you to put on this yellow sticker and head into the room with the yellow sign on the door. Everyone has been into groups. We've had more interest than expected."

"Sure. Emma'll need a yellow sticker too."

Blue looked up. "Emma, right." She took another look for Emma's form. "You're in green."

"Can't we both be yellow?"

"We've sorted by age and interests. I'm afraid that's put you in different rooms."

"But I didn't fill out a form with my interests." Emma told her.

"That would be my fault." Ruby confessed. "I filled it out for you, back when you weren't sure if you wanted to come. I just thought it'd save time when you finally gave in."

"What did you put?"

"Ladies, we don't have time for this." Blue interrupted them. "In five more minutes the rooms will be closed to new-comers. I suggest you decide if you want to stay or not."

"We're staying." Ruby told her, pulling Emma away.

Once they were out of sight of the fairy, she pulled off her sticker. "Don't worry, I'm coming with you."

"Uh, Ruby…"

"Like anyone's going to check…"

"Okay."

Ruby opened the door with the green sticker and ushered Emma inside. The room was a quarter the size of the main bar area, but not too crowded with a dozen people inside. Emma recognised most of the faces, which included Dr. Whale. Ruby quickly led her away, muttering something about Mary Margaret. There were large red hearts cut out of paper hanging from the ceiling and stuck on the walls around the room. Soft music was playing, though Emma couldn't name the tune.

"Time to start mingling." Ruby whispered, her eye catching someone else's across the room.

"Wait…"

Emma was too late. Ruby had already gone. She turned in a slow circle, hoping to see some other friendly faces but most of the people in the room had their backs to her as they conversed with someone else. The bar stood out at one side so she headed over and took a seat on one of the barstools before realising exactly who she was sitting down next to.

As Regina turned to see who had come to join her, Emma's eyes were drawn to the low cut dress hugging the mayor's well-proportioned curves. "Wow, you look…"

"And I see you made an effort too." Regina replied, without waiting for Emma to finish her sentence.

"What are you doing here? I mean, obviously you're here to find a date, but…"

"I promised Daniel."

"Daniel? You mean…"

"When Whale temporarily resurrected him. He said he wanted me to find love again, so here I am. I should have known fairies couldn't be trusted to organise something like this. It's not like they can fall in love."

Emma couldn't believe that Regina was actually opening up to her like this. How much had she had to drink already? Then her mind registered the fact that she'd been put in the same room as the Mayor, suggesting that they had something in common. She hoped it wasn't just an age and job thing.

Feeling brave, she tried to continue the conversation. "Have you actually tried talking to anyone?"

"I haven't seen anyone I'd care to talk to."

"Well, we're talking…"

"Because you sat next to me. I assumed you would order a drink and be on your way soon enough."

Emma smiled. "What about Whale? He's a doctor, isn't he your type?"

Regina's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you're in the right room? I would have hoped the fairies set some kind of standard in here."

"Look, green sticker." Emma held it out so she could see it. "Maybe we should change the conversation. Wanna talk about Henry?"

She caught the change in Regina's expression, though the other woman tried to hide it and knew she'd won.


	2. Chapter 2

The barman finally refused to sell them any more drinks. Blue even came around to remind everyone that the rooms had only been booked for a couple of hours and it was time to leave.

Ruby stumbled over to Emma and hugged her. "This was amazing! Thank you so much for coming with me."

Emma tried steadying her, but Ruby was wearing heels and they didn't mix well with alcohol. She gave an apologetic look towards Regina, but the mayor just nodded as though she hadn't expected the conversation to continue much further anyway.

"I'd better walk her home. Come on, Ruby."

As they emerged into the corridor, the other rooms were also filtering out. Suddenly Ruby stopped walking and spun around.

"Granny!" She yelled, pushing Emma into other passers-by.

"Hey."

"Sorry, I thought I could smell her." Ruby explained and waved at her grandmother.

Granny had gone slightly red after hearing her granddaughter yelling at her. Emma suspected it had more to do with Marco's arm through hers than the indoor temperature.

"I see you took advantage of another night out to get drunk. Why you choose to do so when you know you're working the early shift..."

"I can't believe you came here." Ruby finally glanced at Marco. "And you found a date!"

"Oh lord, I can see I'm going to have to walk you home." Granny took her arm from Marco with an apologetic look for him. "I'm sorry."

"Family, I understand. Perhaps I could escort you two ladies home?"

"What about Emma?" Ruby asked.

Holding her hands up, not wanting to give Granny and Marco more of an audience, Emma smiled. "I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

She watched the way Marco held the doors open for Granny and Ruby as they left and sighed. At least someone had found a date on Valentines Day.

Her eyes picked out Regina heading towards the door. She realised that she wanted to do something, if only to help her realise that Daniel wanted her to be happy again. Emma ducked back into the room and grabbed one of the hearts from the wall. She ran out to find Regina, just as she unlocked the door to her car.

"Here." Emma thrust the heart into her hands. "So you know you had someone thinking about you on Valentines Day. I know you were hoping to meet…"

"Hey, Emma, I almost forgot! Happy birthday!" Archie called out, waving goodbye.

"Thanks." Emma returned the way, then turned back to Regina. "Looks like everyone turned up to this thing. Was he in our room?"

Her words were cut off by Regina grabbing the front of her coat and pulling her into a rough kiss. She could taste apples on the mayor's lips and was too stunned to pull away. When Regina released her, Emma just stared back.

"Happy birthday Miss Swan, and thank you for the heart."

"Yeah, well…" Suddenly Emma felt embarrassed. "Are you okay to drive?"

She couldn't remember how much Regina had been drinking. She wondered if she should offer to walk her home, just in case. It would be an interesting turn of events if she had to arrest Regina for drink driving, considering…

Regina opened the car door and put the paper heart on the passenger seat, before turning back to Emma. "Valentine's Day isn't over yet. Do you have any other plans?"

"Um… no?" _Was that an invitation?_

Regina slipped into the drivers seat. She lowered the window and looked out at Emma, expectantly.

"Are you coming?"

Emma didn't have to be asked twice. She moved around the car, remembering to move the paper heart before sitting down. There was a smile on Regina's face as she sped away.

* * *

As soon as the front door to the mansion closed behind them, Regina's hands moved to take Emma's coat. Emma felt Regina's fingers against the skin on her arms and she couldn't help herself. She spun around, grabbing the mayor's arms and pulling her in for another kiss. Regina tried taking a few steps to the side, trying to hang the coat up, but Emma manoeuvred them so that her back was against the wall.

"You can just drop the coat on the floor." She whispered, pressing her body against the mayors.

Her hands moved away from Regina's arms, now she had her trapped. Regina's dress was so thin she could trace every outline and, when Regina didn't stop her, she slipped the straps over her shoulders.

"Not here." Regina managed to tell her, breathing heavily.

"Where? Upstairs?"

Regina nodded. Emma let her lead the way to one of the rooms, not sure if it was Regina's own bedroom.

"You realise this is just one night…" Regina began, looking nervously at Emma. "Nothing more."

"Just the end to Valentines Day." Emma agreed.

"Good." Regina unzipped her dress and let it pool around her ankles.

Emma just started, open-mouthed.

* * *

**AN: So, no smuttiness. Sorry. Also, this was quite short which I should also apologise for. The next chapter will take place slightly further in the future. With Valentines Day firmly in the past I wanted to move on… but I have a plan (which may or may not change the more I write). **


	3. Chapter 3

It was probably the hottest July in Storybrooke record. Hemlines were higher and sleeves banished to the back of the closet. Regina had installed air-conditioning in her mansion a long time ago and had it checked each year to ensure it would be working when the warmer weather arrived. She wanted nothing more than to be sitting at home with an icy drink in her hand, relaxing in the most shaded area of her garden. Instead, she was spending the day at the stables with the horses, mucking out the stalls and topping up the animal's water supply. When she had first created Storybrooke, she had put the stables here because she couldn't imagine a form of travel without them. Despite what had happened to Daniel, being around the horses comforted her. The smell reminded her of him and the time they had spent together. Now the work was the only thing keeping her busy. Storybrooke didn't need a mayor anymore. It had Snow White as the leader.

Regina stopped for a break as the heat began to get to her. She sat down and removed an apple from her bag. As she turned it over in her hand, trying to decide the best place for the first bite, she felt her body sway. Her eyes lost their focus and her stomach felt like it was twisting inside her. She turned to the side just in time, as the contents of her stomach splattered over the orange tiles.

"Urgh." She took a deep breath and tried to see if her stomach wanted a repeat performance.

Looking woefully at the floor she had only just finished sweeping, she knew she would have to clean it up. Telling herself that it was probably just the heat and that she really should have been drinking more, Regina returned the apple to her bag and went to find a glass of water.

* * *

She had walked to the stables, so after she had finished cleaning up Regina prepared herself for the long walk home. Her stomach still felt a little queasy, but she had been forcing herself to keep drinking glasses of water throughout the day and was hoping to get some sleep when she finally arrived home. She was just saying goodbye to the horses when she heard the sound of Henry's laughter and followed it outside.

"Henry?" She called, recognising Emma's yellow car.

"Regina?" A blonde head appeared from around the corner and Emma smiled as she walked towards her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see the horses. Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I'm just dropping Henry off for his riding lesson with David."

"Henry's going to learn to ride?" Regina wasn't sure whether to be pleased or annoyed at that.

Teaching him to ride would have brought back too many sad memories, but the idea of David teaching Henry reminded her that she wasn't part of his life anymore. Emma just shrugged as though it wasn't a big deal and kept starting at Regina.

"I haven't seen you in a while."

"It's a big town." Regina wished Emma could have picked a better time or place to try and have this conversation.

She knew where the Sheriff was heading and wished Henry would appear to distract them both. It was too hot and she was too tired to try and be polite to Emma. She just wanted to go home.

"We never got a chance to talk…"

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Valentines…"

"No." Regina quickly stopped her. "The past is in the past, remember? One night…"

"But we…"

"There is no 'we'. There is you and there is me. I thought that was perfectly clear."

"I still want to discuss it."

"Why?"

"Because…"

Regina was saved by Henry. He slammed the door to the room where the riding gear was stored having located a helmet. He came out wearing the helmet on his head and trying to get the strap to close under his chin.

"Are you sure you have the right size?" Emma asked, distracted from her conversation with Regina.

"Yeah, they've got number on them and this is the one gramps gave me last time. Can you help me?" Henry finally looked up and realised his mother was not alone. "Hey, are you here to go riding too?"

Regina shook her head. "No, I'm just leaving. I have to get home."

"Do you want to stay and watch me? It's not very exciting, grandpa still holds the reins and the horse is only allowed to walk in a circle…"

"Maybe next time." Regina didn't want to miss watching Henry ride a horse, but if she left now she could avoid Emma.

"I didn't see your car, if you wait I'll give you a lift." Emma offered.

"I'm looking forward to the walk."

Henry looked between them. "I thought you were trying to get along now?"

"We are." Regina assured him, blushing as she realised just how well they had already 'gotten along'.

The sound of another car door closing signalled David's arrival. He smiled as he saw Emma and Henry waiting for him, giving Regina a more guarded nod of his head.

"You're looking well." He told her.

"Thank you. Henry seems excited about the horse riding. How is he getting on?"

"He's a natural. Shouldn't be long before I let him hold the reins."

"That's good." Regina forced herself to keep looking at David and not at Emma like she wanted. "I should get going, it was nice seeing you again."

Henry came over to give Regina a hug. She suddenly realised how much he had grown and felt a little sad.

"You'll come for the next lesson, won't you?" He asked her.

It was a small thing. Even though she knew he wasn't hers anymore, a question like that could make her forget that he had gone to find Emma.

"If I can."

She headed for the narrow lane. It was a longer route home but she knew Emma wouldn't be able to follow in her car.

**-****AN: How long can Regina avoid Emma?… ****J**


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Just to clear up a query from the last chapter – Emma and Regina have "seen" each other between Valentines and July, but they haven't been alone and able to talk privately until now.

* * *

The shaded path was cooler than the stables had been and Regina slowed her pace to enjoy it. It was places like this which reminded her most of home. As Queen she had to ride through without stopping to really see them, as Regina she could walk through with Daniel and point out the birds, the flowers, everything.

"Hey Regina, wait up!"

Of course she recognised the voice. Why was Emma following her? She looked over her shoulder without slowing down but couldn't see the familiar mop of blonde curls. If she stayed on the path, Emma would catch up to her. She still had time to head further into the forest and go the long way around, but her feet were aching and it was too hot to run.

"There you are." Emma sounded relieved when she found her.

Regina was resting under a tree, her shoes placed neatly at her side and her eyes closed. "Always stating the obvious, Miss Swan. I said I was looking forward to walking home and you saw me head in this direction, so here I am."

Emma was a little annoyed that Regina wasn't looking at her. She wondered if their night together really hadn't meant anything to the ex-Queen. There was something different about Regina today. Emma couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"You wanna know something else that's obvious? You've been avoiding me, since Valentines…"

"Just because our paths don't cross…"

"They always used to."

"Yes, when you were trying to take Henry away from me."

"He's my son…"

"Whom I legally adopted." Regina pointed out, finally opening her eyes.

"It's not really legal if you lie on the forms."

"Shouldn't you be working?"

Emma smiled and crossed her arms. "Can you stop changing the subject?"

"Oh? Did you want to keep arguing?"

"I _wanted _to talk."

"Then find someone who wants to talk with you."

"I'm not sure this is a conversation I want to have with Ruby or my parents."

Regina's eyes narrowed as she realised Emma might tell someone what had happened. "You wouldn't…"

"No." Emma was quick to reply. "I want to talk to _you _about it."

"There's nothing to say."

"Listen…" Emma sat down so that she could look Regina in the eyes and try to understand the truth.

"It was just one night. One stupid, foolish, drunken night…"

"I don't think either of us was drunk."

"Whatever. I'm not going to argue with you. I told you then, it was just the one night. It's not my problem it you couldn't handle that."

"You think because it felt good I'm looking for more? It's not just about the sex. I want to understand _why _it happened."

Regina ran a hand through her hair, wishing for a breeze or something to help cool her down. "Just let it go."

"Did it mean nothing to you? Were you just lonely or…"

"Emma!.. I mean, Miss Swan." Regina sat away from the tree and went to reach for her shoes, but the movement made her feel light-headed. "Just go back to work and leave me alone."

"You don't look well." Emma knelt down, getting closer to Regina.

"In case you hadn't noticed it's warm today and I've been working at the stables. I'm probably just a little dehydrated. Once I get home I'll drink plenty of water and I'll be fine."

"You're forgetting about my inbuilt lie detector."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me why you kissed me."

Regina didn't answer. Slowly, Emma edged towards her. When she was close enough, she leant forward and allowed her lips to hover in front of Regina's, just stopping them from touching. She wasn't sure who made the final move to kiss the other, but she closed her eyes as they did.

Regina only allowed the kiss to last a few seconds before breaking away. Emma moved back and stood up again, looking down at Regina and waiting for her to speak. The mayor just pressed her lips into a thin line and shook her head.

"Fine." Emma shrugged. "I tried."

Regina reached for her shoes again. This time her stomach rebelled and she threw up inches from her precious footwear.

"Ew." Emma couldn't stop herself; she had never been comfortable around vomit.

She held out her hand to help Regina up. Regina just looked at her as though the idea of touching Emma made her feel worse.

"Come on." Emma grabbed Regina's shoes and reached for her arm. "No arguments, I'm giving you a lift home."

Regina allowed Emma to pull her to her feet. She wasn't used to feeling ill. Meekly, she followed Emma back to her car and let her drive her home.

When they reached the front door, she let herself in and quickly closed the door before Emma could try and enter. She heard Emma call to her but she flipped the lock and sank to the floor, wishing for the strength to move further.

* * *

A few days later, still feeling ill, Regina went for a little drive. She couldn't face Dr Whale, so she drove over the town border and to the nearest hospital. Using magic to transfer her medical record to their computers and making it look like she had medical insurance to cover any bills, Regina allowed the doctors to take some blood samples and left with the telephone number she would have to ring to find out the results. She stopped on the way back at a little diner, knowing she had to try and eat dinner. The food was nowhere near the standard she'd come to expect from Granny's. Her waitress was rude and her drink was not the way she had requested. Regina headed back to Storybrooke feeling a little nervous about the blood tests. She just hoped the spell held up and kept her medical records available for when she rang back.

* * *

_One week later._

"Hello? Are you still there?" The concerned voice on the other end of the phone repeated.

Regina raised the receiver to her ear and nodded. "Thank you."

"Would you like to schedule an appointment with the doctor?"

"No, that will be fine. I… I have to go." She hung up and turned to look at her reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall.

It wasn't possible. She tried counting back the time in her head, refusing to believe that one moment of… _weakness, insanity_…

"Oh, Daniel." Regina closed her eyes as she whispered his name.

What was she going to do?

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the short chapter, trying to tie this in to the next one which I started writing first. Hope I got the American medical stuff right – not sure how the insurance works, is all the information computerised and would anyone notice if the records were false? Also, no idea how long blood tests would take… or how long she would have to wait for the results. Knowing Regina, she probably found some private clinic rather than a general hospital.. again, my knowledge of the American medical system is down to books, tv & movies so apologies if anything's wrong.**


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Just to confirm, this story takes place after the curse has broken, and after Whale resurrected Daniel, but before meeting Neal or going to Neverland.

* * *

Regina sat on the bench in her garden, tilting her head to avoid the glaring sunlight. If she had a choice, she would be inside the house, but she knew sunlight was important for babies. She still had all the books she read after getting Henry. Part of her worried about someone seeing them, even knowing that no-one could take this child from her. This was her baby. Only hers.

During the worst part of the contractions she had caved and called Dr Whale to help deliver the baby. She had sworn him to secrecy, wanting as much time alone with just her daughter as possible. He agreed, but explained he would come back and check up on them at some point, just to make sure there were no problems. Regina knew there weren't. Her daughter was perfect.

When he asked about the father, she explained that she had met with Daniel before the incident in the stables with Henry and David. He believed her. All their groceries were home delivered and so far no-one had seemed to miss her presence in the town.

Regina stroked a tender finger over the little curls at the top of her daughter's head and smiled. She was just so amazing.

"Oh my god…"

Regina pulled the baby towards her protectively, and looked up. "Henry?"

"Mom, where did you get the baby?"

"She's mine." Regina felt calm as she spoke, but quickly realised that he might take that the wrong way. "I mean, she's my daughter."

"You adopted again?"

"No."

"Then how…"

Regina suddenly panicked, trying to remember if Henry knew where babies came from. She was saved from answering by Emma, who had obviously come over with Henry. For some reason, the sight of the Saviour didn't ease her.

"Hey kid, did you find your stuff yet?"

Henry couldn't take his eyes off Regina and the baby, so Emma finally shifted for a better look. She stared at the former Evil Queen in about as much shock as her son. It took Regina a moment to compose herself and repeat the story she had given Whale about Daniel.

"Whale helped deliver her, in case you were wondering." She added.

"Regina…"

"Save it. We're doing fine and no you don't need to tell anyone else. Especially not your parents."

"Can I see her?" Henry asked.

Regina's face softened. "She's your sister, of course you can."

He smiled and Emma watched Regina cradle the baby, turning her so Henry could get a better view. Emma realised she didn't need to worry. Regina had gone through this before, raising Henry. She knew what she was doing. There was something about the way Regina looked at her daughter that gave Emma a strange feeling.

Henry reached out to touch the edge of the soft blanket wrapped around the baby. "She's so cute. What's her name?"

"Her name?" Regina laughed. "I haven't thought about it. Everything has happened so fast and I…"

"She needs a name." Henry persisted. "When was she born?"

"A day or two ago. Between the nappy changes and feeding I haven't kept track of the time. What day is it today?"

"Saturday. That's why I'm not at school. We came over to get some of my stuff. Hey, mom can we go and get something for the baby? If I'm going to be a big brother I should buy her a present, right?"

"You don't have to…" Regina started, but his words caught her when she realised that he meant them.

She looked at Emma. The last thing she wanted was for anyone else to know about her daughter. Emma had been trying to take Henry from her since she arrived in Storybrooke. How would she take his wish to be a brother?

"Yeah, we can go shopping. Is there anything you need?" Emma kept her eyes on Regina, instead of the baby.

She was remembering that she had missed out on Henry at this age. Part of her wanted to know what that had felt like. She knew that if she looked at the baby she might want to hold it and that would be a bad idea. Her actions in the past had to stay there. Regrets wouldn't help anybody.

"I still have Henry's baby things and anything else I can order online and get it delivered. Thank you." Regina looked back at her son. "Henry, do you understand? I want to keep this a secret?"

"Why? It's wonderful."

"It is... _She _is, but it's best for everyone if we're left alone."

"That's silly."

Emma put a hand on his shoulder. "Henry, if that's what Regina wants..."

"You can't keep yourself locked up here forever. What about when she grows up?"

"People still need time to get over what I did. I don't want my daughter getting hurt. Eventually, maybe…"

"I don't like keeping secrets."

"It's Regina's choice…"

Henry shrugged Emma's hand away and finally turned to face her. "So, what? I'm supposed to come and visit her in secret? She's going to grow up only knowing three people? Don't you think anyone else will wonder what's going on?"

"No-one noticed I haven't been around for the last few months." Regina reminded him. "Since I started showing and decided to stay at home. Dr Whale can come and give her any inoculations she needs and you're welcome to visit anytime."

Emma didn't like to correct her. Of course people had noticed she wasn't around. Most mentioned it in private. Quite a few commented it on it aloud. Either way, they were all relieved she hadn't sought revenge after the curse broke and she regained her powers.

"You're not using your magic, are you?" Emma asked.

"What makes you ask that?" Regina asked, unable to hide a guilty look in her eyes or the blush along her cheeks.

"Mom, you promised!" Henry scolded her.

"I did what I had to." Regina explained. "It was just a small spell, no-one was hurt."

Emma folded her arms. "What spell?"

"Nothing you'd know."

"Then tell me, what did it do?"

Regina looked down at her daughter, remembering Emma's lie detector. "You don't have to worry. It was just one spell. For the good of everyone, really."

* * *

_Flashback._

She had been desperate when she used magic to help her get the blood tests done. Now that she'd had time to let the news sink in, she was panicking. If only she had slept with Emma closer to Daniel's return this would have been so much easier. Now the months were off and with Emma remembering what had happened between them the blonde would put magic and sex together and figure out that she had some link to the baby. Not that Regina intended to share another child with that Swan woman. Just because she had given in to her…_lust, loneliness_… for one night, it didn't mean there would be more between them.

So she came up with a plan. It was difficult, because so many people in Storybrooke had been at the bar and because they all knew exactly how long ago Whale had resurrected Daniel. Despite the all magic involved, Regina cast the spell. It required a lot of her strength, but she knew she had to do it.

She erased everyone's memories of her presence at the Valentines mixer, altered their memories of exactly when Daniel had returned and hid herself away in her mansion, intending to enjoy every moment of her impending motherhood.

Regina hadn't planned on exactly how agonising childbirth would be. She hoped a little magic would ease the pain, but for some reason labour interfered with her powers and she had to call for help.

So she lied. She told them Daniel was the father. If she had things her way, he would have been. And no-one knew the truth.


	6. Chapter 6

The baby was sleeping when Henry returned with his gift. Emma had brought him over. Regina kept her distance, focusing on Henry as she spoke. He whispered when talking to Regina, even though the baby was upstairs and they were downstairs.

"Can I see her?"

"If you promise to be quiet."

"Which room is hers?"

"I put her cot in my room, until she's older. Then I'll paint one of the spare rooms."

"So you're not giving her my room?"

"Why would I do that? It's your room."

Henry smiled. "Have you chosen a name yet?"

"I wanted to call her Daniella, but I'm not sure."

Emma smiled. "That's a nice name."

"Yes, well, I'm still thinking about it."

"What about Henrietta?" Henry suggested with a grin.

Regina laughed. "That was somewhere behind Cora on the list." Then she grew serious. "Daniel and I never had a chance to discuss baby names. I don't think we ever discussed having children."

"I'm sorry." Emma reached out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but Regina moved away.

"Come, Henry. Why don't we take your present up?"

"Can I go too?" Emma asked.

Regina hesitated, but Henry nudged her.

"She'll be quiet." He promised.

"Follow me, then."

At the top of the stairs, Henry waited for Regina to open the door to her room. She felt nervous, remembering the last time she had been in the room with Emma. Her eyes glanced in the Sheriffs direction, but there was no reaction to suggest that she remembered anything.

Regina pushed open the door to her room and Henry and Emma followed her inside. The plain crib was decorated with little red dots. As they moved closer, Emma could make them out and realised they were apples. Henry hovered over the edge, looking down at the little girl inside, smiling at her. Regina watched him, managing to keep her thoughts from her face. Emma stood awkwardly to one side, wondering if she should speak.

"Do you want to open her present?" Henry whispered, turning to look at Regina.

Regina nodded and stepped closer to take the bag from him. She pulled out the pink tissue paper and found a box underneath.

"You gotta be careful with it." Henry added.

Regina knelt down to lay the box on the floor and gently lifted the lid. The contents were hidden by even more tissue paper, which she smoothed away to the side. When she saw the present Henry had chosen, she rocked back and looked up at him.

"This is…"

Henry nodded. "I saw it in Mr Gold's shop, but I didn't tell him why I wanted it. Do you like it?"

She recognised the little glass unicorns, of course. Gold had hung them in his shop for nearly three decades.

Regina turned to Emma. "Did you know about this?"

"What?"

"This was yours. You mother hung it over your crib when she was expecting you."

Emma stammered as the information sunk in. "Gold mentioned something to me once, but…"

"That's great." Henry raised his voice in the excitement.

"Sh." Regina reminded him.

"Sorry." He brought his voice back to a whisper. "But that means it belongs to our family and I'm sharing it with my sister, who is part of my family too."

"Perhaps you should return it to Mary Margaret." Regina suggested.

"Regina! The kid just gave his sister a gift, you can't reject it like that."

"I'm not and please keep your voice down. I was merely suggesting that it belongs to your mother and perhaps she would like to keep it."

"You just don't want anything of hers around here, do you? Or is it because it was mine? I'm here because I'm trying to share Henry with you, you don't have to…" Emma trailed off as the baby began to cry.

"Now look what you've done." Regina rushed to the crib and picked up her daughter. "Sh, it's all right darling."

"I'm sorry." Emma began, looking to Henry for support. "I didn't mean to…"

He just stood there, watching Regina as if trying to remember if she had been as gentle holding him when he was a baby. Gradually the baby's cries lessened and Regina's face relaxed.

She managed to smile at Henry. "I'm just a little tired, I shouldn't have said that about the present. It's lovely. I'll hang it over the crib later."

"'S'okay." Henry shrugged.

"You know I still love you?" Regina asked, placing the baby back in the crib.

She was wide awake now, but seemed content to lie there looking up at the ceiling. Henry just shrugged again.

"Henry, you will always be my son." Regina told him. "Like I said earlier, this will always be your home."

Henry nodded and looked at the crib. "When can I hold her?"

Regina hesitated at the answer, but she knew she would have to let him to prove her earlier words. "She's awake now, so if you sit down you may hold her for a little while."

Henry grinned and looked for somewhere comfortable. There was a large chair next to the crib where Regina had been sitting to watch her sleep and read her stories from. He pushed himself to the back of the chair, sitting up straight and holding out his hands. Regina lifted the baby from the crib and explained how to hold his arms as she transferred her into them.

"That's it, always support her head."

"Because babies need help." Henry nodded, his full concentration on the tiny little face below his. "She doesn't have much hair."

"Neither did you at that age." Regina told him.

"Did I have hair when I was born?" He asked Emma.

Emma wanted to look away. How could she tell him that she hadn't even seen him before she gave him up? Perhaps Regina sensed Emma's panic, or perhaps she just wanted to turn Henry's attention back to her, when she spoke.

"You should be more worried about how much hair you'll have when you're older." She joked. "David's hairline has already started receding and those things can be inherited."

"Huh?" Henry looked confused, and Emma's smile didn't help.

"Okay, I think that's enough for one day." Regina told him, scooping her daughter back up into her arms as she noticed that Henry had stopped paying complete attention to what he was doing.

He stretched out his arms and looked up at her in amazement. "She didn't feel that heavy when I was holding her, but now my arms ache."

"We'll have to take you down the gym, lifting weights. Get you some muscles." Emma teased him.

"Can I come back tomorrow? Maybe if I keep holding her I'll get strong enough to hold her standing up? Please?"

"You're welcome anytime, but I think you should leave the standing up with babies for the grownups. She wriggles sometimes and if you're not ready you might drop… not that I think you would, not on purpose, but…"

"It's okay, I understand. When I'm older, right?"

Regina nodded and led them from the room. "But I want you to come back and see her again."

Henry looked to Emma, who nodded. "It's Sunday tomorrow. Are you sure we can't bring you anything?"

"Yes."

"What about lunch?" Henry suggested. "We could get you something fresh from Granny's."

"Thank you, but I have everything here."

"Well, okay then." Henry hugged her when they reached the front door. "See you tomorrow."


	7. Chapter 7

When Emma dropped Henry off at the mansion, she apologised to Regina, saying she had to investigate a disturbance in the town. Regina was pleased at the idea of having Henry all to herself, though all he wanted to do was see his new baby sister. He spent a few moments waving a small pink teddy bear over the crib, trying to make her smile but she looked about as impressed with his attempts as Regina did, watching him.

"Can I read to her?" He finally asked.

"Sure. Will you be okay while I go and make lunch?"

"Yeah."

"Remember, no picking her up. I've got a monitor with me, I'll come up if she starts crying."

"I know."

As Regina walked down the stairs she heard him begin his story. She recognised the words from his book and was relieved when he read Cinderella instead of Snow White. Once she had made lunch, she would have to lay a few ground rules.

* * *

Regina was on the phone when Emma arrived. She waited politely downstairs while Regina finished the call, though secretly she wanted to go up and see the baby again.

"Who was that?" She asked, trying to make conversation when Regina finally turned her attention to her.

"The doctor I went to see during the pregnancy. I didn't want to have the check-ups with anyone here so I had to leave town. She wanted to make sure everything was all right."

"That was nice. I didn't realise they did that."

"I was paying privately. After I found out I was pregnant I was a little worried about using too much magic, so I had to."

The memory spell had exhausted her too much and even when she wasn't trying to hurt anyone her magic still held an edge of darkness to it. She didn't want her child to feel that. Part of her worried that her mother had used magic while she was pregnant and that was why she had enjoyed using it so much. Sometimes it had just felt so natural… Regina suddenly realised Emma was talking to her.

"Is that Henry on the baby monitor?"

"Yes, he's reading from his story book. We've had lunch but I made you a sandwich, just in case."

"Great, I'm starving."

"It's in the kitchen, I'll go and tell Henry you're here." Regina headed for the stairs, not giving Emma the chance to argue.

When she reached the room, she hovered in the doorway. There was something about watching Henry read to his sister that stopped her from wanting to interrupt them. Time passed a little quicker than she realised, and eventually Emma finished her sandwich and came to stand beside her in the doorway beside her.

"He looks so happy."

Regina nearly jumped out of her skin when Emma spoke. "Yes, he really loves that book."

"And his sister."

Regina smiled.

"And you." Emma added softly.

Regina didn't know what to say. She didn't know if Emma's words were genuine. Henry looked up at their voices and smiled.

"Did you catch the bad guys?"

"None to catch. Turns out it was a false alarm. The paperwork's gonna be a nightmare."

Regina moved into the room, smiling at she looked down at her daughter. Calm, blue eyes stared back up at her. As she wasn't indicating that she wanted to be picked up, Regina turned her attention towards Henry. She'd already asked him about school over lunch, but she wanted an excuse to keep him here a little longer.

"I've been thinking about baby names."

Henry smiled at her. "Me too."

"I looked online. What do you think about Carys? It means 'love' or 'beloved'."

"Yeah, it's okay, but how about Brooke? After Storybrooke?"

"Or you could just pick a name that sounds nice. Why worry about it's meaning?" Emma asked.

Henry and Regina just gave her an identical look and she threw up her hands in surrender, deciding not to offer any more suggestions.

"Would you like to…" Regina was interrupted by the telephone ringing. "Who is it now?"

"You get it, I'll watch the kids." Emma told her.

Regina frowned, but knew she couldn't say anything. "I'll be right back."

The only other person who might be ringing her would be Whale. Or maybe Sydney. He'd already left a couple of messages on her mobile asking where she was.

It was Whale. Trying to arrange a visit to check on her. Wanting to make sure everything was fine with her daughter, she agreed to a date and time. As she made her way back to her room, she heard the baby start to cry.

"Don't worry, I'm coming." She called, hoping Henry would remember not to pick her up.

The crying stopped as she neared the room. Had Henry distracted his sister with the teddy bear? Regina raced to the door. She was just in time to watch Emma lean over the crib and reach inside.

"No." Her voice was weak, coming out in a whisper.

Emma didn't hear it. All Regina could think about was Snow White finding out she had a granddaughter. She didn't want her child anywhere near that woman. Suddenly she felt the urge to run. She was so scared. She hadn't felt this way since she became Queen and she didn't like it.

Emma picked up her daughter and the crying stopped. Regina felt a sharp pain as if a shard of her spell had broken off and lodged in her body.

"Henry, would you mind getting her… blanket. I think I left it downstairs. Or it might be in the garden."

Regina needed him out of the room. If Emma knew the truth and he heard…

"Sure."

When he was out of the room she went to reclaim her daughter. Emma stumbled back into a chair and looked up at Regina.

"I remember."

Regina waited, mentally preparing herself to poof herself away in a cloud of smoke before Emma knew what was happening.

"We kissed… Near the stables. You were sitting under a tree."

"You kissed me."

"Because…" Emma shook her head. "Why did I forget? Have you used magic on me?"

"You refused to leave me alone. I did what I had to."

"God Regina, I… we…" Emma's eyes widened and she glanced at the bed. "In that bed?"

Regina nodded, laying her daughter back in the crib. "Can you try to finish this before Henry returns?"

"Why am I starting to remember?"

"You're a child of True Love and you have your own magic. Being in this room again probably just broke the spell."

Emma looked as if she was considering Regina's words. "And that's it? The spell didn't break until I was holding…"

Regina forced herself to laugh. "Really, Miss Swan? You think that somehow, after one drunken night we…" She laughed again.

"But is it possible? With magic."

"I've already told you, Daniel and I…"

Emma had just two words for her. "Lie detector."

She sprang from her chair, grabbing Regina's arm before she could magic herself away.

"Get your hand off me." Regina screamed at her.

"No." Emma panted her feet on the ground as she had been taught in self-defence classes and held on. "Now, tell me the truth. Remember, I'll know if you're lying."

"You're insane!"

"Regina…"

"Mom?"

The second Emma relaxed her hold, Regina pulled away. They both turned to look at Henry.


	8. Chapter 8

"What's going on?"

"Emma is leaving." Regina explained. "She is not welcome in this house."

"I want answers Regina."

"I've given you them. Now, this is private property and if you try to come here again making idiotic accusations I _will _use magic to protect myself."

"Um, guys…" Henry struggled to understand why they were suddenly fighting.

"You are still welcome here, Henry." Regina told him.

"What about a DNA test?" Emma suggested.

"I don't have any of Daniel's DNA available."

"I wasn't suggesting we use his."

As their voices escalated, the floor shook and the walls trembled. Regina didn't seem to notice, though Emma looked around trying to remember if Maine had earthquakes.

"Henry, stay in the doorway." She told him. "Regina, if it's you doing this, you need to stop."

"I don't understand why you can't just leave me alone. First you take Henry and now you want to take my daughter. Just like your mother, you…"

The windows shattered. Emma ran to protect Henry while Regina's magic shielded the crib from the maelstrom of flying debris. There were little flashes of light as her magic grew out of control and sparked a kind of lightning effect in the room. Emma tried to back Henry out of the way, but he was trying to get Regina to hear him.

Remembering what she had been taught about magic, Emma focused on her love for him and raised a protective barrier around them. She watched as one branch from the magical lightning struck the window. Shards of glass flew into the room. One headed straight for Regina.

"No!"

Emma was too slow to react with her magic. She blinked and one moment the room was a howling chaos, the next blood was dripping from a wound on Regina's body and she was lying slumped on the floor.

Everything was still. The glass had all succumbed to gravity and Emma released Henry from her grip. He ran to his mother.

"Call 911." He told Emma, his hands brushing Regina's hair away from her face. "It's going to be okay."

Emma ran out of the room, to find a phone, before realising she had her cell. She made the call in the hallway, only re-entering when the operator asked her about Regina's injury.

She followed their instructions, examining the piece of glass and telling Henry to go downstairs and wait by the front door for the ambulance. It was only when the paramedics arrived that she remembered the baby. Emma watched them carry Regina out on the stretcher before turning back to the crib. She gripped the edge of the wood as she looked down at her daughter, feeling her mind sway at the term.

_It had only been one night, it shouldn't be possible. _

_What if Regina was telling the truth? _

_But then why use that spell?_

Emma reached one hand towards the baby, a little afraid what memories further contact would bring back. Wide eyes stared back at her but the little girl made no effort to reach towards her.

"Mom?" Henry watched from the doorway. "Can we go with her to the hospital?"

"Huh?"

"We should be there when she wakes up."

"Henry…"

"It wasn't her fault. She just got mad, but she didn't know what she was doing. Maybe because she hasn't been using her magic it just built up inside her and got out of control."

Emma wasn't sure who his excuses were meant to convince. "I need to call someone to take care of the baby, then I'll take you to the hospital."

"Why can't we take her with us?"

"I don't know how to look after a baby… and I don't have a car seat."

"You can't tell grandma. She doesn't want her to know."

"Who else…"

"What about Granny? According to the book she practically raised Ruby and she was a mother so she knows what she's doing. Please?"

Emma pulled her hand out of the crib and nodded at Henry.

* * *

Emma sat on a chair in the hallway with Henry, waiting for Whale to examine Regina. He wouldn't let them into her room until he had finished, and then when he emerged he wouldn't tell them anything. Technically, Henry was her next of kin, but he was too young to be given any medical details. Telling Emma might breach doctor-patient confidentiality. Whale had suggested Snow White, as Regina's step-daughter… Emma had quickly pointed out that if he valued his life he would forget it. She knew Regina would not like to hear that idea.

"You hungry?" Emma asked Henry, searching for something to say.

"How can you ask that?"

Emma stretched out her legs, wishing she could do something. "Just checking. Maybe when she wakes up I should go talk to her first."

"Why?"

"In case her magic gets out of control again. She wouldn't want you to get hurt accidentally."

"Are you going to upset her again?"

That was the million-dollar question. Emma wasn't sure she wanted to ask Regina any more questions; she had always trusted her ability to tell when someone was lying to her.

_What if the baby is Daniels?_

Emma slipped her hand into her pocket and checked her cell.

"Looks like I have a missed call. I'd better check it out." She lied to Henry, standing up. "Stay here until I get back."

"Don't forget to check in on Granny and the baby."

"Sure, good idea."

After walking down the corridor, far enough out of Henry's earshot, Emma dialled the number for Regina's secretary. The woman was very helpful once she realised it was the Sheriff calling. She asked her to check Regina's diary for the last seven to nine months, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Immediately the secretary noticed that the entire month of February was missing.

"All the pages have been ripped out. I'm sorry Sheriff…"

"What about an electronic diary, something on her computer? Can you access that?"

She listened to the whirring noise of the computer loading up and the tapping of long nails on the keyboard.

"Everything looks normal, the monthly and weekly meetings are always set to automatically reoccur. She had meetings with several town officials… although, that's strange."

"What is it?"

"On Valentines Day, she has the letters SBDN listed as a reminder. I don't know anyone with those initials. Your father is David Nolan, but Snow and Sydney's surnames started with W and G."

"SBDN?" Emma repeated the letters, trying to work it out for herself.

"Is everything alright?"

"Nothing for you to worry about. Thank you."

Emma walked back towards Henry, not sure whether she should ask for his help with this or wait for Regina. The 'D' could stand for Daniel, SB – stable boy? She doubted Regina would still refer to him as that, but she didn't know his last name. Perhaps her mother would. No, she reminded herself, the fewer people involved the better.


	9. Chapter 9

Regina woke to the beeping sound of the hospital machines monitoring her vital signs. At first she thought it was all part of a dream, but gradually she remembered. She looked down at the bandage on her leg, at the place where the blood had partially soaked through despite the stitches. Concentrating, Regina began trying to heal it with her magic. Nothing happened.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position on the bed and tried again. The monitors picked up her distress, sending a signal to a nurse's station and a few moments later the door to her room opened, admitting hospital staff. She didn't notice Henry and Emma slip in behind them.

"Take these things off me, I need to get home." Regina ordered them, pointing at the various wires.

"But…"

Regina yanked them out herself, wincing in pain as she did so. A nurse began trying to fuss over her.

"Mom?"

Henry's tentative voice caught her attention and she waved the nurse away. "Henry?"

"You're okay." He dodged the other people in the room to come and give her a hug.

She turned to keep her injured leg out of the way and hugged him back. As she looked up, she saw Emma. Her arm dropped away from Henry.

"I left Granny with… at your house." Emma told her. "We need to finish our chat. Can you do that without magic or do I have to arrest you?"

Regina's eyes narrowed. "I have to get home."

"Everything there is fine. We can either talk in front of everyone, or get them to leave and give us some privacy. It's up to you."

Regina flexed her hands, testing for her magic. Nothing.

"I guess I don't have a choice." She told Emma, plastering a fake smile on her face.

The room cleared quickly at the sight. Emma shooed Henry to the door. When he tried to protest, Regina asked him to go. Shrugging his shoulders, he reminded them he would be right outside, watching them.

Emma dragged a chair across the room, so that she could sit closer to the bed. She motioned for Regina to make herself comfortable and sat down.

"Okay, here are the rules. I'm going to ask you some questions and you are going to answer them honestly. If you don't…"

"You'll know because you can detect lies, blah blah blah…"

"And I will let everyone know about your daughter… _our _daughter…"

"She's not…" Regina stopped herself before finishing that sentence, quickly changing her words. "Telling everyone will put _my _daughter in danger. Is that what you want?"

Ignoring her, Emma began. "Question 1: Is Daniel her father?"

"He… I told you, he returned to Storybrooke."

"That's not an answer. Try again. Question 2: Is she my daughter?"

"I have never heard of two women having a child together, without magical aid from a fairy wish. As I know I would never make that wish and I assume that you…"

"I didn't really get a lot of notice that we would be…"

"Did I pass your lie detector? Can I go now?"

"The dates still don't match."

"What?"

"Daniel's return was too far away, whereas we… I can't remember exactly when…"

"I didn't exactly keep track of the date myself. Nor when you kissed me…"

"So what does SBDN stand for?"

"Where did you get that from?"

"Answer the question."

As hard as she tried, Regina couldn't think of a good enough lie and without her magic she couldn't make Emma believe it. "Stoybrooke Date Night. The fairies were holding a singles meeting thing and after Daniel told me to find love again I thought I'd give it a try."

"On Valentines Day. My birthday."

"The anniversary of the curse." Regina pointed out.

"And that's when we…"

"_You _were avoiding your parents, clearly you have issues deciding to come home with me instead of returning to them to celebrate. I had been talking to you about Henry, _not _interested in dating anyone there."

_Ping._

"I think you'll have to break down those sentences, there was a lie in there somewhere."

"I'm not going to sit here so you can check every little detail. I have to get home to my daughter. Speaking of which, why did you leave her with Granny?"

"Uh…"

"Let me understand this, you thought she was your daughter and yet when you had a chance to be with her, you ran away again bringing Henry here to see me. Is that correct?"

"Hey, you're the one who wants to keep her hidden away like some princess locked in a tower…"

"I don't know why you didn't announce it to everyone. Honestly, did you swear Granny to secrecy using your lie detector? That woman spreads gossip faster than…"

"It was either Granny or my mother. I knew you'd want someone reliable to look after her…"

"Oh really, those were your two choices?"

"I've never looked after a baby before!" Emma finally began to raise her voice, getting even more irritated when Regina just smiled in victory.

"Take me home, Miss Swan."

Emma stood up and pushed the chair away from the bed. "Get there yourself. Henry and I are leaving."

She was turning the handle on the door when she heard Regina try to stand. As it opened and Henry came to see what was happening, there was a curse and thud. Emma looked back over her shoulder. Regina was sitting on the floor, looking a little dazed.

Henry pushed past Emma and went to her side. "What happened?"

"I just stood up too fast. It's nothing, I'm fine."

"Here, let me…"

Emma watched as Henry put a hand under Regina's elbow to help her stand. She sighed and leaned out into the hallway, looking for someone to come and help. It was typical of Regina, refusing to show vulnerability. Why she didn't just use her magic…

"Hey, you…" Emma realised she didn't know the nurses' name.

"Yes?"

"We need your help in here."

The nurse muttered something about being kicked out of the room before, but Emma just ignored her. Regina was sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet touching the floor. Henry was standing at her side, looking a little worried. The nurse tried to examine her leg, but Regina waved her away.

"Let her look at you."

Regina looked over and glared at Emma. "I'm _fine_." She insisted.

Emma just folded her arms and tilted her head, looking amused at Regina's words. "Then prove it. Walk to the door."

Regina tried pushing herself off the bed, but the injured one bent at the knee and struggled to right itself. She had to hold onto the bed and Henry helped her to sit back down.

"Get me a wheelchair." Regina ordered the nurse.

"You're still bleeding." Henry told her, looking down at her leg.

"I can heal at home." She turned to look at the nurse. "Go."

Emma rolled her eyes as the woman rushed out past her and Henry fussed around Regina. "And who's going to look after you while you're healing?"

"I'll manage."

"You have stairs in your house."

"Everything I need can be brought downstairs."

"I can help," Henry turned to Emma. "Can't I, mom?"

"You have school." Regina reminded him.

Henry looked at Emma, trying to encourage her to offer. Regina wasn't about to let that happen.

"Emma has work. If I need help I can hire someone. My magic is exhausted from what happened, as soon as it's back to full strength I can heal my leg and be back to normal."

An orderly brought in a wheelchair and helped Regina to sit in it. She was still in pain with her leg and Emma kept expecting her to ask about some medication to take home.

"I'll need to call a cab." Regina informed the orderly.

"We can take you home." Henry offered.

"I refuse to go in that yellow monstrosity. It's not safe."

"It has seatbelts." Emma countered. "Plus if we take you home Granny is less likely to ask questions."

"I can handle her."

Emma winked at Henry as they reached the elevator and he pressed the button. "Maybe she could help out until you're on your feet?"

"Just get me home." Regina surrendered.

A nurse brought Regina some paperwork to sign; then the orderly wheeled her out to the car park.

"This is a hospital wheelchair, so I have to take it back once you get to your car." He warned her.

"How many wheelchairs do you have?" Emma asked.

"I dunno. Ten, twenty maybe."

"And how many times have they been needed?"

"Uh…"

"That's what I thought. I'm sure Dr. Whale won't mind if Regina borrows this one, at least until she can get her own."

"I'd have to check."

Emma smiled. "You go do that."

He looked nervously at the chair. "You'll wait right here?"

"Oh no, we don't have time. Whale knows where I live, if he wants it back." Regina told him, tugging on a door handle.

There was a creaking sound as it opened.

"Just needs a little oil, not a safety hazard." Emma assured her.

"Why don't you sit in the back with me?" Henry offered.

"I want to see exactly what speed your mother does on these roads. Just because she's the Sheriff…"

"I would never speed with Henry in the car."

"Plus the bug makes a funny noise if it goes too fast. I remember when I brought Emma to Storybrooke…" Henry joked.

Regina frowned and held her arm out to the orderly to help her into the car. "Maybe put an ambulance on standby."


End file.
